| First, let's take a look at onsite backups. Clearly, the | | | | Other advantages of remote data backups are that |
| single greatest advantage that onsite backups have | | | | they can be performed persistently or on schedule. |
| over remote data backup is speed. With LAN speeds | | | | This means that it's pretty much a "set and forget" |
| of up to 1Gbit, and USB 2.0 clocking in at 400Mbps | | | | proposition. Once the software has been set up, the |
| (with USB 3.0 and speeds of up to 4.8Gbps just | | | | backups are performed automatically, without human |
| starting to make it into some hardware), the ability | | | | intervention. |
| to speedily backup your data to a network resource | | | | There's also the benefit of security with remote |
| is the killer app for local backups. | | | | backup solutions. Data is encrypted both ways (client |
| Cost is also a benefit to small businesses of local | | | | to server, and server to client), and good remote |
| backups. In a lot of cases, you might already have a | | | | data backup providers have their own redundant |
| networked drive somewhere on your LAN with | | | | backup network, meaning that your data is backed |
| plenty of free space. If this is the case, the cost of | | | | up across servers in different locations, so that if one |
| setting up your local backup solution can be as little | | | | datacentre suffers and outage or system failure, |
| as zero. There's also no ongoing cost associated with | | | | your data is still accessible via the other servers in |
| LAN based backups. Even if you do need to buy | | | | their network. |
| extra storage, it's a one-off cost, without the | | | | Another advantage of online backups is that they are |
| monthly fees that accompany remote data backup | | | | virtually infinitely scalable, and there is no initial |
| solutions. | | | | hardware infrastructure outlay. Startup costs are |
| Disadvantages of local backup solutions include the | | | | negligible, and as your requirements for online storage |
| fact that if your building suffers a catastrophe, for | | | | grow, for relatively little extra investment, your |
| example, burning to the ground, your backups go | | | | storage space grows with it. |
| with it. Whilst you can take backups offsite, this is a | | | | The major disadvantage of online remote backups is |
| two sided process; backups need to be copied onto | | | | speed. Uplink speed for most internet users is |
| a removable drive or optical media, then someone | | | | significantly lower than downlink speed, and large |
| needs to actually be tasked with the job or | | | | backups can tie up the uplink for significant amounts |
| remembering to take the data home each night. | | | | of time, limiting bandwidth availibility for other |
| Now to Online Backup solutions. The single greatest | | | | applications. |
| advantage of remote data backup solutions is that | | | | Overall, I think I'd still choose the remote data |
| they are, well, remote. if something happens to your | | | | backup over the onsite backup, simply for the reason |
| building, or you suffer a hardware failure, your data is | | | | of data security. I like the idea that my data is safe |
| sitting there on the remote server, ready for your | | | | and secure in another location, and will be kept up to |
| glorious reunion when you're ready to download it | | | | date with virtually no human intervention from me. |
| again. | | | | |